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nehaleminthesun

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Ended abruptly

Overall
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
4 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 06-23-25

I liked this couple a lot, wanted to see more of them in scenes AFTER they got together to really round it out. This one had the potential to be 5 stars, but the Nate and Nalla ending details and followup were cut pretty short. There was lots of potential to show more of the make-ups with BFFs, what it was like during Nate's talk with the Brothers, did the mob boss get killed? what about Shoolie? It was almost baked, but not fully.
"The two MCs got together and love each other. The End."

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So much emotional intelligence

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
4 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 06-02-25

Murhder & Dr Sarah Watkins. Book 17 tugs on the heart with old injustices against good people, and we just keep falling in love with these wounded souls. A few of this book's main characters face long-standing injustices, as well as a longing to belong --a heartbreak exquisitely familiar to all of us.

JR Ward continues to explore trust, love and loyalty, and adds sanity vs insanity with this one. I absolutely love this series.

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Rhage as a big friendly dog

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
4 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 05-24-25

Gotta love the marshmallow at the heart of all these men. Rhage's BTO and Bitty, and then Rhage's beast and Bitty--just perfect. The honor and respect between all these characters is SO dang pleasant to spend time with!

This book is another chapter for Rhage and Mary, and a new love story of another kind: between Rhage, Mary, and Bitty--or Bits as Rhage calls her.

Jim Frangione is reading the emotional parts incredibly well. Chapeau!

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Love Qhuinn & Blay; less fond of the misunderstanding trope

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Story
4 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 05-10-25

THE PRO: I love this series and both (each) Qhuinn and Blay. I found myself emotionally savoring their angst and the trauma-induced reasons behind it. It's like the catharsis of a sweet pain. Couldn't wait to pick up the reading (listening) again to find out where my friends were at each particular plot twist.

THE CON: The plot device of non-communication and misunderstanding is not my favorite. If it goes on too long, one finds oneself just saying "Oh for Pete's sake, just TELL him!" There has to be a good reason why they don't actually just talk to each other. That believability was stretched thin in this book, as "the misunderstanding trope" was the primary thing holding this love story plot together.

But I can forgive it from JR Ward in this case, (1) because she doesn't overly use it in her various books, and (2) because I did enjoy the various psychological/ emotional places she explored by keeping the cliff-hanger tension going. So, even though the miscommunication went on a bit long, I'm OK with it. Because I do love those guys, including all their baggage.

The subplots have subplots in this book (!). As much as half was about other characters being introduced or developed, and plenty of action. There is a lot going on other than the Qhuinn-Blay story.

The "found family" and love and respect between all the main characters is a joy to read.

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Tor, Wellsie, No-Own; John & Xhex; complicated relationships

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
4 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 05-07-25

I love any of this series with John, Darius, or Tor. (A book about one will also be about the other two.) This one's focus is Tor. But side plots abound. John and Xhex have a serious disagreement. Will they be able to recover from it? I love JR Ward's ability to address the deep and real fights that occur in a true intimate relationship. It's not all about the "falling in love." It's WAY more than that.

Huge respect to JR Ward's women--from shy to badass--they all remain so true to themselves.

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John Matthew is my fave

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 04-29-25

BDB book #8 main storyline: John Matthew and Xhex. Such likeable, complex and deep characters. And what a lot of "foreplay" built-up to their story! John Matthew, through Darius, has been in the series since book 1. So good!

Side plots:
--flashback storyline with Darius and Torment in 1671
--John and Torment in present-day - Will they ever get together?
--Lash, Lash, Lash, you bad boy!
--a mystery between a ghost and some paranormal story chasers in South Carolina
--Wrath and Payne (Vicious's twin!) sparring matches on The Other Side
--Quinn and Blay - their growing distance

This is a great book.

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Vishous

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 04-13-25

Loved Jane and Vishous together. The man who thought he didn't have a heart, turns out there's a giant amount there.❤️❤️❤️

There's a heartbreaking quality along with the happiness in this book. The subplot of John Matthew is delightfully suspenseful. I absolutely love the emotional depth JR Ward is able to bring out. I am so impressed with her. Character and plot are consistently good, always something new, always turning the page.

Only discovered Ward a few weeks ago and she's already jumped to the top of my all-time favorites, along with Penny Reid and Louise Penny.

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Zsadist's story

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 04-06-25

Because Zsadist's life was so tragic--epically tragic--it was the opposite of life, the opposite of living. What he learned in this book was what LIVING means. His epic trauma affected not only him but his twin brother Fury as well, who had been, on the surface, relatively healthy. But they were both still prisoners of the abuse.

(As young John Matthew said to Fury, saving him from heroine: "I worry for you, because you are still in prison." They were the exact words Darius had said to him, Fury thought.)

It's also Zsadist's story with Bella. It shows how a wounded person will always wound the ones who try to love him. He will not be able to return the love until he can care for himself.

It is extremely cool how the author shows all of life/living juxtaposed against Not Living. At the end of the book, I find myself very choked up about it all, and the full circle of life. Living is, in the end, loving. The ability to love. The ability to give it, the ability to receive it.

It is a gut-wrenching and beautiful book, in a fictional, paranormal, tragic and--yes--love story, HEA way.

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Among the best of the series

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
4 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 02-25-25

This one is about Niko's backstory, and how he still holds the ancient agreements for safety in the Black Forest--the last fae-human crossover place left on the earth.

Since it's about Niko, it's also about Dirk. Dirk gets some justice he's deserved for a while. Landon is Dirk's love, and he's the key partner to Jacky in her adventures this time. We get to see a side of Landon we've never seen before. All great.

The other part of the plot involves Fenriss. No spoilers, but since he is and has been one of my favorite characters, the ending is particularly poignant.

The ending also involves a long-awaited showdown in the Hasan family. That was fantastic as well.

Highly recommend this one, all the way to the end.

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9 out of 10

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 01-22-25

9 stars out of 10. I enjoyed this book a lot. I got sucked right in and for some reason couldn't stop listening. Lots of longing and unsaid love before they could fully articulate it.

Heat meter 2-3🌶️🌶️🌶️ out of 5--which is perfect for me TBH. Some books are too g-damn much! More important is the couple's connection at the heart, and that never wavered.

Female reader was a strong 10. Soothing, pleasant Irish accent, and her male voice was fantastic, especially communicating something emotional.
The male voice--he's obviously an excellent actor. There was just something about him that was not right for this part.
It did not detract from the book though.

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